By midsummer most docks hold the same pile: a cooler, a stack of life jackets, a half-flat tube, two paddles and a coil of line. Where it all goes depends on how much there is, how long it is, and what your lake allows. We're a small family business in Soquel, California. We sell steel-frame storage shelters, which usually go on shore beside the dock (we explain why below), so this guide covers every option, including the ones we don't sell. These boat dock storage ideas work for a lake house, a dock at home or a dock on the coast. Every price is dated November 3, 2026, and we say which ones came from search results.
Quick answer
✓ Lines, life jackets, fenders and small gear: a dock storage box. Poly ran $353.55 to $409.95, fiberglass $1,289.99 to $1,399.99.
✓ Long gear you want locked on the dock: a dock locker or a 6-ft box (one 6-ft poly box listed at $769 plus a $199 shipping fee).
✓ Kayaks and paddleboards: a rack on the dock edge, or locked storage on shore.
✓ A jet ski: a drive-on port or a lift. The two we priced were $2,312 and $4,999.
✓ The big stuff a box won't take: a shed or shelter on shore beside the dock.
✓ Before you buy any of it: read your lake authority's and HOA's dock rules.
Dock Storage Solutions Compared
The short version, one card per option. Prices are what we saw in November 2026; details and sources are in the sections below.
Poly dock box
Holds: lines, life jackets, fenders, hose, small tackle
Price seen: $353.55 to $409.95; $769 for one 6-ft box
Good: no rot, no paint, light
Watch out: can fade or warp in the sun; the lock is often extra
Fiberglass dock box
Holds: the same, plus rods
Price seen: $1,289.99 to $1,399.99
Good: material guides rate it best for sun and looks
Watch out: heavy (69 to 80 lb), pricey, the gelcoat chalks
Aluminum dock box
Holds: rods, tools, bigger gear
Price seen: about $1,199 for one 79-in box (search listing, not confirmed)
Good: tough
Watch out: 112 lb for that one, plain, the lid gets hot in the sun
Cedar or wood box
Holds: cushions, towels, gear
Price seen: from $994 (a made-to-order cedar deck box)
Good: looks like furniture
Watch out: soaks up moisture, needs refinishing every year
Dock locker
Holds: paddles, rods, vests
Price seen: not published for the 78-in locker we found; ask a dealer
Good: long, sealed lid
Watch out: still about 26 in tall; sold through dealers
Kayak or SUP rack
Holds: kayaks, boards, paddles
Price seen: roughly $190 to $350 in search listings
Good: cheapest way to get boats off the water
Watch out: no roof, no lock, bolts to the dock edge
Jet ski port or lift
Holds: one jet ski
Price seen: $2,312 (drive-on port) and $4,999 (vertical lift)
Good: keeps the ski out of the water
Watch out: install, water depth, cost
Canopy or boathouse
Holds: a boat on a lift
Price seen: $3,770 for a 14-ft canopy frame alone; boathouses by quote
Good: shade for the boat
Watch out: permits, roof rules, cost
Shed or shelter on shore
Holds: coolers, tubes, chairs, the grill, kayaks, a golf cart that measures in
Price seen: our shelters $429.95 to $574.95; steel shed kits about $475 to $700 in search listings
Good: big, locks, off the dock
Watch out: needs a spot on land; shore rules and HOAs still apply
Dock Storage Box Options: Poly, Fiberglass, Aluminum and Cedar
A dock box is the standard answer for the stuff you grab every trip. The ones we checked ran 43 to 72 in long and 24 to 27 in tall, so they hold lines, vests, fenders and tackle. A big cooler and a pile of tubes fill one fast.
Poly (rotomolded plastic)
The cheapest real dock box. Taylor Made's 43-in Stow 'N Go listed at $353.55 at Fisheries Supply, and Lifetime's 130-gallon dock bench box, 60 x 24 x 24 in, listed at $409.95 at Global Industrial. Neither comes with the lock. At the top end, TitanSTOR's medium 6-ft box ran $769 plus a $199 shipping surcharge at Overton's, with a stainless mounting kit and keyed-alike locks. The makers don't agree on poly's weak spot: Lippert says it can fade, go brittle and crack in UV, and Taylor Made's guide calls it lighter than fiberglass but more likely to warp. Search results showed the same 43-in box at very different prices, so shop around.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass costs about three to four times as much. Taylor Made's standard 72-in fiberglass box (72 x 23 x 24 in, 69 lb) listed at $1,289.99 at Camping World, and the deeper 27-in-tall version (80 lb) at $1,399.99 at Overton's. Material guides rate fiberglass best for UV and looks, and the lids ride on gas shocks. The trade-offs are price, weight, and gelcoat that chalks over the years.
Aluminum
Tough and heavy. One 79 x 26 x 20 in aluminum box with built-in rod holders weighs 112 lb and showed up at $1,199 in search listings (the seller's page wouldn't load for us to confirm). Taylor Made's guide calls aluminum durable but heavy and plain to look at.
Cedar and other wood
Wood looks best on a nice dock and asks the most of you. Lippert's buying guide says treated wood soaks up moisture and needs refinishing every year. We didn't find a wood box sold as a dock box. The closest was an Amish-made cedar deck box with an aluminum liner, 20 x 24 x 45 in, from $994 on sale and made to order in 5 to 7 weeks at DutchCrafters.
Dock Lockers (and the Missing Dock Cabinet)
A dock locker is a bigger, longer box with a sealed lid, for gear that won't fit a standard dock box. HydroHoist's HydroLocker is 78 in long, 34.5 in deep and 26.5 in tall, weighs 95 lb, has a tongue-and-groove lid seal and takes a padlock. An off-dock mounting bracket is an add-on, and the price isn't published; it goes through dealers. If you were hoping for a tall, stand-up cabinet built for a dock, we looked and didn't find one. What came up under "dock storage cabinet" looked like indoor steel lockers.
Kayak Dock Storage: Racks for Kayaks and Paddleboards
The cheapest way to get boats off the water is a rack that bolts to the dock edge. A four-level over-water rack holds four boats. Search listings put those at roughly $190 to $350, and dock-mount SUP racks around $230 to $260 (the maker's pages wouldn't load for us, so treat those as rough). The catch: boats on a rack sit in the sun all season with no roof and no lock, and the rack has to bolt to the dock edge, so check your dock and your lake rules first. If you want the boats locked up and out of the sun, length decides it. Measure tip to tail and compare that with the inside length of whatever you're putting them in.
Jet Ski Lifts and Ports
A jet ski is best stored out of the water, on a port or a lift. ShoreMaster's ShorePort drive-on port listed at $2,312 at Boat Lift & Dock, rated for 1,150 lb (1,450 lb with extra floats). A ShoreStation vertical PWC lift listed at $4,999 with bunks, rated for 1,500 lb in water up to 66 in deep, shipping in 3 to 5 weeks. Another seller showed that lift for less in search results, so compare quotes. Either one takes installing and the right water depth.
Boat Lift Canopies and Boathouses
Canopies keep sun and leaves off a boat on a lift; they aren't gear storage. A ShoreStation 14-ft x 64-in canopy frame listed at $3,770 for the aluminum frame alone, with the cover and legs extra, and the listing gives no wind or snow rating. Boathouses are contractor jobs priced by the square foot. The cost guides we found didn't look solid enough to quote, so get local bids. Both run into the lake rules below. Idaho, for one, allows no hard roof on covered slips.
A Dock Storage Shed (or Shelter) on Shore
This is the place for the stuff that doesn't fit a dock box: coolers, buoys and fenders, dock lines, life jackets, tubes and water toys, paddles, water skis and wakeboards, fishing rods and tackle, crab or shrimp pots, cushions, the grill once it's cold, folding chairs and capped gas cans. Kayaks and paddleboards too, if the length works.
On shore, walkway width, dock load limits and the caps on dock storage stop being your problem. Shore rules still apply: setbacks from the water, shed size limits and HOA rules vary, so check first. A basic 8 x 10 ft steel shed kit showed up around $475 to $700 in search listings. A portable shelter like ours is the smaller, quicker option; more on that below.
How to Secure a Dock Box to a Dock
Most of the advice comes down to one thing: through-bolt it. Here's the method from Lippert, which sells Taylor Made boxes, in short. Their install guide has the full steps.
1. Pick the spot. On a floating dock, spread the weight and don't load one corner.
2. Mark and drill. Set the box in place, use its base as a template to mark the holes, and drill pilot holes.
3. Bolt through. Run marine-grade stainless bolts through the base and the deck, with flat washers, lock washers and nuts. Tighten evenly and don't over-torque.
4. Seal. On some surfaces, put marine sealant in the holes.
5. Composite decking: it may need special hardware, so check with the decking maker.
Lippert says a box that just sits on the dock may not need bolting, but anchoring it is a good idea for heavy use or windy spots. Check whether hardware comes in the box: TitanSTOR's medium box includes a stainless mounting kit, but not every box does. At Lake of the Ozarks, Ameren requires plated or stainless connectors on docks. One tip that comes up among boaters on forums: bolt from inside the box, so nobody can reach the nuts with the lid locked.
Check the Rules First
None of the dock storage guides we read mentioned this, and it's the part that can stop a project cold. Lakes run by utilities and agencies set hard limits on what sits on a dock. Here's what we read on November 3, 2026:
Dock rules, as we read them
TVA lakes: fully enclosed storage on a dock or boathouse can be no more than 32 sq ft, measured outside, and only for water-use equipment. (18 CFR 1304.204)
Lake of the Ozarks (Ameren Missouri): walled or roofed storage on a dock up to 80 sq ft total, measured outside. Fabric or sunshade enclosures are prohibited, even ones that roll up. Residential walkways max out at 6 ft, and you need a permit. (Ameren Appendix B, revised June 30, 2025)
Idaho navigable lakes: single-family docks up to 10 ft wide with 700 sq ft of decking. Covered slips get no hard roof, and fabric canopies with sides are discouraged. The permit fee is $425. (Idaho Department of Lands, revised June 2025)
Corps of Engineers lakes (Lanier, Table Rock and others): each lake has its own shoreline management plan. We couldn't find the dock box limits, so call the lake office.
Your HOA or condo association: many have their own dock rules. Read them before you buy.
Rules change, and your lake office has the final word.
Lake Dock Storage Ideas for Mildew, Sun and Wind
Put it away dry. Wet life jackets, towels and cushions shut in a box go musty fast. Let them dry in the sun first.
Let it breathe. On a dry day, open the lid (or the shelter) and air it out.
Get gear off damp ground. A wood base or a rubber floor keeps stuff off wet dirt and concrete.
Sun is hard on plastic and fabric. Lippert says poly boxes can fade and go brittle, and fiberglass gelcoat chalks over time. Our shelter covers last about 3 to 4 years in full sun on their own, longer under a Double Duty UV cover. Hand wash a couple of times a year and use an outdoor fabric spray.
Wind. Bolt boxes down, especially in windy spots, and anchor any shelter. Take a Double Duty UV cover off before high winds. When a big blow is forecast, clear loose gear off the dock.
Where Our Shelter Fits (and Where It Doesn't)
Honest version: a Speedway Shelter isn't a dock box. It can go on a dock, on a lake or on the coast, but on most docks it's a tight fit: the Sport takes up nearly all of a 4-ft walkway, the Deluxe is wider than a 6-ft one, and even the smallest is over TVA's 32 sq ft cap.
Where it works best is on shore beside the dock: a driveway, a slab, a patio, or a wood base on gravel or grass. It's a heavy-duty steel frame under a 600D urethane-coated polyester cover with taped seams, and the cover locks closed (the locking hardware is built in; bring your own lock). Setup takes about 20 to 30 minutes. It can even go on the deck of a big boat that's tied up, though that's the least likely spot. For a dock or a boat, email us first.
Inside sizes
Sport: 108 x 43 x 65.75 in, $429.95. Gear and boards up to 9 ft.
Touring: 136 x 54 x 77.75 in, $490.95, our best seller. Kayaks and boards up to 11 ft 4 in.
Deluxe: 138 x 78 x 78.75 in, $574.95. Kayaks up to 11 ft 6 in, and some golf carts: send us the cart's length, width and height (roof and mirrors included) first.
Heights are at the peak; the roof slopes toward the back. Jet ski? We can't promise a fit. Measure the ski, and the trailer if it stays on, and email us. Compare all three on the selection chart.
The steel frame protects what's inside from falling branches and debris. No portable shelter is built to stop a falling tree. Our lake house storage shed page covers setup, anchoring and what fits.
Dock Storage FAQ
What's the best way to store things on a dock?
Match the storage to the stuff. Lines, vests, fenders and tackle go in a dock box. Kayaks and boards go on a rack or in locked storage on shore. A jet ski goes on a lift or port. Coolers, tubes, chairs and the grill go in a shed or shelter on shore beside the dock.
How do you secure a dock box to a dock?
Through-bolt it. Mark the holes using the box's base, drill pilot holes, then bolt through the base and the deck with marine-grade stainless bolts, flat washers, lock washers and nuts. On a floating dock, spread the weight. Lippert's install guide has the full steps.
Is there a waterproof dock storage box?
Look for a sealed lid. HydroHoist's locker, for one, uses a tongue-and-groove seal. Treat any dock box as rain-tight at best: put gear in dry and air it out now and then.
Can I put a storage shed on my dock?
Often not. TVA caps fully enclosed storage on a dock at 32 sq ft, Lake of the Ozarks bans fabric enclosures on docks, and floating docks are built for light loads. Where the rules allow it and the dock is wide enough, a small shelter can work; otherwise put it on shore beside the dock. Check your lake authority and HOA rules either way.
What should I keep in a dock box?
The stuff you grab every trip: dock lines, fenders, life jackets, a first-aid kit, sunscreen and small tackle. Keep the bulky stuff (coolers, tubes, chairs) somewhere else, or the box fills up by June.
How big is a standard dock box?
There isn't one standard size. The boxes we checked ran 43 to 72 in long, 21 to 26 in deep and 24 to 27 in tall. Measure your walkway first so the box doesn't block it.
Still deciding?
Tell Us What's on Your Dock
Email info@speedwayshelters.com with what you want to store and where it would sit. If a shelter on shore makes sense, we'll help you pick the size. If a dock box is the better answer, we'll tell you that. We answer every email ourselves.
